Peterborough's women's wing walk in memory of mother raises over £1,500 to support people with dementia
A Peterborough woman who founded a network of dementia day services after her own family was affected by the condition has raised an incredible £1,365 after taking to the skies.
Caroline Ignatius, CEO of The Devika Dementia C.I.C, was strapped to the top of an aeroplane for the daring challenge above the skies of Duxford with Ethel Dares.
She completed the feat last month (August 23) in a bid to raise vital funds and awareness for people living with dementia and the families who care for them.
The challenge had an especially personal meaning for Caroline. The organisation is named after her mum, Devika, who lived with dementia for 16 years before sadly passing away in June this year.
Caroline completed the wing walk wearing a specially made T-shirt featuring a photograph of her mum on the front and The Devika Dementia C.I.C logo on the back.
She said: “It was exhilarating, but it was also incredibly emotional. Having Mum’s picture on my T-shirt meant that, in a way, she was up there with me.
“I can’t thank everyone enough who donated, shared the fundraiser, sent messages or supported me. To have raised £1,365 means so much, because every penny will go back into helping us support people living with dementia and the families caring for them.”
Caroline’s connection to dementia spans many years. Alongside caring for and supporting her mum throughout her 16-year dementia journey, her father Ernie is currently living with vascular dementia.
Those experiences led Caroline to establish her first dementia day centre in 2022, with the aim of providing the kind of practical support, understanding and respite she knew families really needed.
The Devika Dementia C.I.C now provides specialist dementia day services with in Country Court Care Homes across the region, including Peterborough, Huntingdon, Thrapston, Tallington, Spalding and Wisbech.
In Peterborough alone, the organisation provides 25 dementia day-service placements every week, with some attendees accessing the service on more than one day.
Each placement provides five hours of support and meaningful engagement for a person living with dementia, while also giving their family carer valuable respite.
The services offer a safe and welcoming environment where people living with dementia can enjoy friendship, social interaction, music, activities and mental and physical stimulation.
Caroline added: “When you’ve cared for someone with dementia yourself, you understand just how important those few hours of respite can be. It’s not simply about giving somebody somewhere to go for the day – it’s about making sure they have purpose, friendship, laughter and stimulation, while their family has the chance to rest, work, spend time with other family members or simply breathe.
“Everything we do at Devika comes from our family’s experience, and if we can use that experience to make another family’s dementia journey even slightly easier, then we’re doing something worthwhile.”
The £1,365 raised through Caroline’s wing walk will go directly towards supporting the work of The Devika Dementia C.I.C, helping the non-profit organisation continue delivering its dementia day services and supporting families affected by dementia across the region.